Urban Planning Consultation and Engagement
Public engagement for rezonings, area structure plans, land use redesignations and development permits, for developers, municipalities and project owners across Alberta.
Engagement at each stage of a land use approval
reVerb plans engagement around the municipal process, so each audience hears from the project at the point where their input can still be used.
Concept
Stakeholder mapping, an issue scan and early conversations with community leagues and neighbours.
Engagement design
A program matched to the application type, the municipality's engagement policy and the timeline.
Public engagement
Open houses, information sessions, online engagement and one-on-one meetings while the design can still respond.
Application and reporting
What-we-heard reporting for administration and plain-language updates for the public.
Public hearing
Presentation materials, speaking notes, question preparation and support at council.
Required consultation, used well
Every rezoning, area structure plan and land use redesignation in Alberta carries some form of public engagement. The Municipal Government Act sets the floor with a public hearing, and many municipalities set engagement policies above it.
reVerb uses that required consultation to give residents accurate information early, bring what we hear back to your design team and build a record administration and council can rely on.
We help developers and municipalities run planning engagement that keeps approvals moving and builds community support.
Who brings reVerb in on planning engagement
We work for the team leading the application or alongside the planners and designers on it.
Developers and proponents
You need a rezoning, an area structure plan amendment or a development permit. We run the engagement from stakeholder mapping through to public hearing support, so your team can stay on the project.
Municipalities
Planning departments managing statutory plan amendments and public hearings. We add engagement capacity alongside your staff, in your process and to your engagement policy.
Land use planning consultants
You lead the regulatory strategy and technical planning. We run the stakeholder consultation and prepare the record and materials your clients need for their applications.
Engineering and architecture firms
Design teams that need technical information turned into public-facing engagement materials and sessions residents can follow.
What our planning engagement work includes
From the first stakeholder map to the public hearing.
Stakeholder identification and analysis
Who has influence over the approval, what they are likely to raise and which relationships need attention first.
- Stakeholder mapping
- Issue scan
- Community league and business outreach lists
- Engagement risk assessment
Engagement program design
A program scaled to the project and its approval pathway, from a neighbourhood rezoning to a regional area structure plan.
- Engagement objectives and methods
- Timelines aligned to the application
- Municipal engagement policy alignment
- Digital and in-person options
Message development
Plain-language materials on the topics residents ask about, such as traffic, density, parking and construction.
- Project messaging
- Fact sheets and FAQs
- Display boards and web content
- Notification letters
Open houses and meetings
Facilitated sessions where residents can ask questions and their input is captured.
- Open houses and information sessions
- Community league meetings
- Working groups
- Presentation coaching for your team
Consultation records and reporting
Documentation that shows what was heard and how the project responded, prepared for administration, council and regulators.
- Engagement logs
- What-we-heard reports
- Concern tracking and responses
- Public hearing preparation
Coordination across processes
Consistent messages and aligned timelines when a project runs municipal and provincial consultation at the same time.
- Municipal hearings
- AER and AUC participant involvement
- Environmental review consultation
- Regional plan consultation
The rules that shape planning consultation
Land use projects in Alberta can fall under several consultation frameworks at once. We plan the engagement to each one that applies.
Municipal Government Act
Requires a public hearing before council passes a statutory plan or a land use bylaw amendment. Municipalities set their own engagement policies beyond this.
Read the ActAER Directive 056
Sets participant involvement requirements for energy development applications to the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER).
Read the directiveAER Directive 091
Sets application and engagement requirements for rock-hosted mineral resource development in Alberta.
Read the directiveAUC Rule 007
Sets participant involvement requirements for power plant, substation and transmission applications to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC).
Our Rule 007 supportEnvironmental Protection and Enhancement Act
Includes public consultation as part of environmental impact assessments in Alberta.
Read the ActAlberta Land Stewardship Act
Governs regional plans in Alberta and the consultation that goes into them.
Read the ActConcerns heard while they are still questions
Engaging early lets residents raise concerns before they harden into organized opposition or formal objections, and gives your team time to respond in the design.
Book a discovery call →- Timelines protected from late surprises
- A consultation record that administration and council can rely on
- Lower risk of appeals after approval
- A development team that stays focused on the project
- Relationships that carry into construction
"reVerb has really supported the public comms side by setting a high standard for public communication and engagement. It shows how much the team genuinely cares about the community and making sure people feel informed and involved. That kind of commitment goes a long way on a project like this."
Urban planning consultation across Alberta
Based in Edmonton, with planning engagement in communities across the province.
Urban planning engagement questions
Does Alberta require public engagement for a rezoning?
The Municipal Government Act requires a public hearing before council passes a statutory plan or a land use bylaw amendment, which includes most rezonings. Many municipalities set engagement policies that go further, so the requirement depends on where your site is.
When should engagement start on a rezoning or area structure plan?
Before the application is filed, ideally at concept design. Starting early gives the design team time to respond to what residents raise and gives administration a record of the conversation.
Can reVerb work alongside our planning consultant?
Yes. Your planning consultant leads the regulatory strategy and technical planning. reVerb runs the engagement and prepares the consultation record and materials that support the application.
Does reVerb prepare what-we-heard reports for council?
Yes. We summarize what residents and stakeholders told us, how the project responded and what remains open, so administration and council have a clear record. See our what-we-heard reports.
Where in Alberta does reVerb work?
reVerb is based in Edmonton and works across Alberta, including Calgary and southern Alberta, central Alberta, northern Alberta and the Peace Region, and in British Columbia.
Plan the engagement. Protect the approval.
Tell us about the site, the application and where it sits in the process. Every engagement starts with a discovery call so the plan fits your project and your municipality.